Time Warner Cable to charge monthly modem fee

Syracuse, N.Y. — Starting in November, Time Warner Cable customers in Central New York will be charged $3.95 a month to rent their Internet modem.

If customers prefer, they can buy their own cable modem, and they range in price from about $50 to $100.

The fee is designed to allow the company to continually service the equipment and improve Internet services, said Stephanie Salanger, CNY Time Warner communications manager.

The advantage of staying with the Time Warner modem is that the company can service them for free if the repairs can be provided online or on the phone, Salanger said. The company does not charge for home visits to repair Time Warner equipment.

Time Warner has about 15 million customers nationwide, and it is in the process of introducing the fees throughout the country. It will start around Oct. 15 in the New York City area and cover the rest of the company’s East region — which includes New York state, Maine, Pennsylvania and the Carolinas — on Nov. 1, Salanger said.